Sweeter Than Candy
by ChemicalReaction9
Summary: Sarah Walker winds up at the Hewitt residence after Hoyt pulls her over on the highway. Thomas takes a liking to her and is allowed to keep her alive as long as she stays on Hoyt's good side. M for later chapters
1. Speeding?

I own nothing from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I only own my character Sarah Walker.

The sun was blazing down as I drove my convertible down a Texas highway. My life up to this point had been horrible and I had no idea it was about to get worse. I didn't know where I was going…I was just going. I put in one of my favorite tapes in and blasted the tunes as I rocketed down the road.

After a while I noticed a car coming up behind me rather fast. As it got closer I noticed it was a police cruiser. I pulled over to let him pass, but was shocked when he pulled in behind me. The cop got out of his car and walked up to the side of my car.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"No, sir." I replied as I looked up at him and noticed that he looked to be in his late forties and his nameplate read Hoyt.

"Well, little missy you were going over the speed limit." He said as if I should have already known this.

I didn't want to sound fresh and get this blown out of proportion so I replied with a simple answer. "I didn't know that I was speeding, sir."

"Oh so now you're calling me a liar."

I was taken aback by what he said. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Get out the car."

"What?" I was shocked I don't see why he was acting like this.

"You heard me. Get out the car."

I opened my door and stepped out onto the road, closing the door behind me. "All right now turn around and place your hands on the hood of the car." I did as he said and turned around. I felt his hands move around my body and noticed that his hands seemed to linger on my butt. "Alright put your hands behind your back."

"What?!" He yanked my arm back and I felt metal hit my wrist. "What the hell did I do?"

"You didn't cooperate." He said as he pulled me towards the cop car.

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Keep fightin' and I'll add resistin' arrest to the list." I stopped "resisting" as he called it and sat quietly in the back of the car that he pushed me into. I really hoped that this would be a short car ride and fortunately it was. About five minutes of silent driving down the road, I spotted a large house. Hoyt pulled off the main road and headed towards the house. As we got closer I saw a man in a wheelchair on the porch. He looked on with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

Hoyt stopped the car in front of the house and yanked me out of the vehicle. He started pushing me towards the house, which made me really confused. I was expecting a jail house not an actual house. We passed the man in the wheelchair as we went in. He had a nasty scowl on his face as he looked at me.

Once inside I noticed that the whole place had a thick layer of dust. A horrible stench wafted all around the place. It smelled like rancid meat and the odor was only getting stronger. We approached a door and the smell seemed to be coming from wherever the door led. The moment Hoyt opened the door I thought I was going to throw up, but before I had a chance to get my composure back, Hoyt tossed me down the stairs.

I tumbled down and hit my head off one of the stairs. When I reached the bottom everything was already going fuzzy. I was barely able to register the fact that someone was walking towards me before everything went black.


	2. First Encounter

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A/N: I own nothing from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I only own my character Sarah Walker.

I drifted in and out of consciousness for awhile. Every so often I would see a blurry figure walk by and he would often stop in front of me. I would always feel his hands on my face and once he even forced his fingers into my mouth. I tried to move my head away but found it too difficult. I spat out the salty copper taste of his fingers as soon as they were gone.

I gain full consciousness some time later in a dark and smelly room. I was still groggy and I tried to sit up only to find that I was completely tied down. Instead, I tried to look around. I saw the stairs where I fell so I assumed that I was in the same room. Water covered most of the floor so when I heard dripping I assumed it was from a pipe. However, when I turned to find the source of the dripping, I immediately regretted it. A woman was hanging by a hook in the ceiling. Both of her legs were missing and one of her arms had been cut off. Her head hung limply off to one side. She was clearly dead.

I looked away from her and tried to focus on something else. The room was filled with various utensils that you would normally find in a butcher's warehouse. Hooks, cleavers and other knives decorated the worktable in the center of the room.

My head snapped to the stairs as I heard the door open and someone walk down into the room. I stared as a large man came into view. He had a large frame covered in muscle, which just made him look even bigger. A mask made of a leather material covered the lower half of his face. His dark eyes just stared at me as he moved closer. I tried to move away but my bonds were too tight. He stood over me and I could feel his eyes looking me over. I watched as his hand reached up and touched my face. I closed my eyes and waited for something bad to happen.

When nothing did happen I opened my eyes again. The man was looking down at me curiously. His hand moved from my face back to his side. I moved around a little to try and get comfortable and the man must have noticed. He removed the metal collars from around my neck and my wrists. He left the ones on my ankles alone though.

I sat up and turned towards the man. "Thank you." I whispered. The man looked confused, like he had never been thanked before. He didn't look away from me and it made me feel awkward. His eyes were dark and difficult to read. I had a feeling, though, that this guy was responsible for the state of the woman on the hook. I had to make it my personal goal to avoid a hook of my own. "Um… my name's Sarah." He didn't respond instead he just continued to stare down at me.

"Thomas!" The man whipped around and stared up the stairs. "Get your ugly ass up here. Dinner's ready." I recognized the voice as Hoyt's. The man who I assumed was Thomas started rubbing his hands together like he was nervous. He glanced over at me then back up the stairs. He pushed me back against the table and reached for the metal restraints.

"Please, no." I pleaded to him. I didn't want to be pinned down in a place as strange as this. He looked at me for a brief second before disappearing and returning with twine. He wrapped it rather tightly around my wrists. When he was satisfied with his work he went up stairs.

I sat there in the dark and felt cold and alone. This was all my stupid ex-boyfriends fault. He was the reason I was on the road that day. The night before I found him in bed with my supposed best friend. Then he kicked me out forcing me to pack up everything I own and shove it into my car. Now I didn't even know where my car was. This was awful.

I'm not sure how long I sat down there but it seemed like forever. Eventually I heard more footsteps and Thomas came done the steps. He came straight for me. I closed my eyes out of instinct and hunched over.

I looked up when I felt something nudge my shoulder. I turned to his outstretched hand and held out my hands expectantly. He let a bread roll fall into my hands. I looked up at him and his brown eyes stared back. I quietly thanked him before I started eating the food. It was still warm and tasted homemade. I heard clanging behind me and turned to find Thomas no longer standing next to me. I turned and saw him at his worktable. He was the only thing that provided any entertainment so I sat there and watched him work. It looked like he was fixing the blade of a chainsaw.

I watched quietly as he took the chain with the dull teeth and replaced it with a new razor sharp chain. Suddenly, Thomas shrieked and pulled his hand away from the blade. His hand slipped as he was tightening the new blade and now a gash could be seen running across his hand.

Thomas was holding his wrist while he examined the cut across his palm. He turned and started to search for something, but he couldn't find whatever it was.

I kind of felt bad for him as he stood over his worktable with a bleeding hand. "Come here. Let me see it."

Thomas stared at me for a second before he hesitantly moved closer to me. I reached out and took his hand in mine. It wound wasn't bleeding as much as I thought it was. I needed to reach something in my back pocket but I couldn't with my hands tied.

"Could you cut me loose. I need to get something." I said, looking up at him. He hesitated before nodding and taking a knife to the rope around my wrists.

Now that my hands were free I could reach the bandana in my back pocket that I usually wrapped around my hair. I pulled it out and folded it over so I could wrap it around Thomas's hand. I tied it tightly to keep it from bleeding anymore.

"There you go." I said with a smile as I let his hand fall from my own. He looked at the red bandana then back up at me. He moved his bandaged hand up to my face again. This time I didn't try to move away. I looked up in to his eyes again and they looked almost grateful. I smiled at him. His rough fingertips lightly ran over my cheek then down to my lips as I smiled.

"Thomas!" A voice yelled from upstairs. It wasn't Hoyt's, instead it sounded like an older woman. "Time for bed. I don't want you staying up all night down there."

Thomas snapped his hand back and moved toward the stairs. I sighed and watched him leave. I fell back on to the table and stared at the ceiling. A minute later Thomas came back down the stairs with something in his hands. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched him. He threw a blanket over me before running his hand over my cheek one last time and going back up stairs. I snuggled down into the blanket a fell into a light slumber.


	3. Up and Out

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A/N: I own nothing from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I only own my character Sarah Walker.

I woke up to more yelling. I looked up at the ceiling when I heard a commotion up stairs. It sounded like Hoyt was yelling again and then another voice would start in right after that. It sounded like a woman's voice but I couldn't be sure. It sounded like Hoyt and the older woman were having a pretty big argument. I strained my ears to allow myself to hear the conversation better.

"Thomas you damn idiot, I told you to kill her!"

"Don't you yell at him like that!"

"Momma, this doesn't concern you! Thomas you go get that girl and slit her throat!" It sounded like that was the end of the argument and I heard Thomas shuffle over head as he moved towards the door that led to the basement.

"Thomas!" Thomas's footsteps halted as the woman called him. "Go get the girl and bring her up here."

"Momma?!"

"Hoyt, I don't want to talk about this anymore. This is my house and I'll decide who stays in it and what happens to them and if Thomas wants to keep that girl I'm gonna let him."

I heard Thomas move to the door and come down the stairs. He looked happy as he rushed over to me. He pushed the blanket aside and removed the metal braces around my ankles. I swung my feet over the edge of the table. I had pins and needles running up my legs as blood rushed back to my limbs that had been held in one position for who knows how long.

I hopped off the table and stumbled a little since it had been a while since I stood up. Thomas immediately wrapped his arms around me and steadied me. I stood up on my own and thanked him. His arms lingered around my waist for moment longer before he removed them and we walked upstairs.

Thomas opened the door and my eyes burned from the light. I followed behind him as he walked through the hall. I looked around and saw that the house looked pretty old. The wallpaper was faded and barely clinging to the walls as we passed by.

Thomas walked me to the dining room were I saw the whole family for the first time. The first person I saw was Hoyt. He had a very angry look on his face almost as if he wanted to gut me. Next I looked over to the man in the wheelchair I saw earlier. He refused to look me in the eye. Lastly my gaze fell on an elderly woman. She didn't look happy but certainly not as angry as Hoyt. She was the first one to speak.

"It seems as though my boy's taken a liking to you." I was a little shocked by this news and looked over to Thomas. He had his eyes glued to the floor, which had suddenly become very interesting. I turned back to the woman. "You look awful child. How have you been down there."

Before I could answer Hoyt spoke up with a sneer. "Well momma, she's been down there 'bout three days now." I was shocked, three days of my life had been wasted in the basement of this house.

Momma had a sympathetic look on her face as she looked up at my shocked expression. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower and change before you join us for lunch. Thomas show her the way."

Thomas snapped his head up and looked from me to his mother then back again. He grabbed my wrist and tugged me up another flight of stairs that led to the second story. He ushered me into a room at the top of the stairs. Inside a queen-size bed stood by the only window on the far side of the room. Two tables stood on either side of the bed and one had a small lamp sitting in the center of it. The window had tattered drapes that blocked the smallest amount of light. On the right side of the room stood an open door. Just past the door I could see a bathroom.

Thomas nudged my shoulder then motioned toward the bathroom before leaving and closing the door behind him. I gave the room another quick glance before I moved to the bathroom. It was small but still a decent size.

I peeled off my dirty clothes and let them fall onto the floor. I faced the shower and turned it on. Before I stepped in though I looked at myself in the mirror above the shower. When Thomas's mother had told her she looked awful she was being nice. My short brown hair stuck out in a few different directions and dirt was smeared across my face. My forest green eyes stared at a reflection it hardly recognized. I sighed before I stepped into the shower. The hot water felt great. It eased away all the tension that my muscles had built up for the past few days. I picked up the bar of soap that looked brand new and started to scrape away the layers of dirt and sweat I had accumulated.

I stepped out of the shower once I was done and stared at the dirty clothes on the floor. I didn't want to put them back on. They were dirtier than I had been and now I was forced to put them back on again. I grabbed a towel from the nearby rack and wrapped myself in it. I picked up the clothes on the floor and opened the door leading into the bedroom.

As soon as I opened the door I nearly slammed it shut again. Thomas was sitting on the bed with something next to him. He turned when he heard the door open and had seen my nearly naked form.

"Thomas what are you doing in here." I demanded while glaring at him.

I watched him stand up and he looked a little nervous. He moved closer and I saw that he was carrying my duffel bag. My gaze softened as I saw that he was being nice. I held my hand out for the bag so he could put them into my hand. When he did I smiled and thanked him. He lingered in the same spot for a second.

"You're names Thomas, right?" He nodded. I took the opportunity to look up at him. He had greasy black hair that fell around his shoulders. His brown eyes stared over at me and I couldn't help but stare back at them. A leather mask covered half of his face and obscured his mouth and nose from view, but a reddish tint could still be seen at the corners of the material. I couldn't help but giggle at his embarrassment. It's true I was half-naked but he couldn't see anything.

"Do you think you could wait outside while I change?" He seemed to just notice the fact that I might want some privacy and scurried out of the room. I smiled at his retreating form and moved into the bedroom. I tossed my bag on the bed and started going through it.

I put on my underwear before digging deeper into the bag and pulling out an outfit. I chose a pale orange button-up shirt with a cute flower pattern along the bottom hem. Next I slipped into some jeans. They flared out a little at the bottom but hugged nicely around my waist and thighs. I laced my brown leather belt into the loops of the jeans. Then finally I slid on my boots and walked back to the bathroom to see myself in the mirror. I glanced at myself and decided I looked decent, so I walked over to the door and stepped out.


	4. Family Issues

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A/N: I own nothing from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I only own my character Sarah Walker.

I stepped outside and found Thomas waiting for me. I smiled at him as he led the way downstairs. As we passed by the front door I saw my car parked in front of the house. I was glad to see it again it was the only thing I owned that I actually cared about. I followed Thomas into the kitchen and found Thomas's mother hard at work at the stove.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

She turned and looked me over. She smiled and spoke up "You cleaned up real nice." I smiled at what I considered a compliment. "Do you know how to cook?" I nodded. My ex-boyfriend always made me cook for him so I became a decent chef while I was with him. "Can you keep an eye on the stew while I help Thomas with the plates."

"Sure thing." I moved to take her place at the stove while she and Thomas moved to the other room. I stirred the soup that the woman had been working on. It smelled delicious whatever it was. I pulled the spoon and tasted the broth of the soup. I t was a little bland so I looked around for some spices. I saw some seasonings on the counter and read the labels. They were pretty basic but I added some to the cooking soup.

From the other room I heard Thomas's mother thank him and then saw her walk in. She stood next to me and observed what I was doing.

"What's your name, darling?"

I looked over to her before speaking. "My name's Sarah, Sarah Walker."

"Well I'm Luda Mae, but you can call me Momma if you want." I smiled at her. Even though I had been held in their basement against my will, Thomas and his mother seemed like nice people. The house was spacious so there was plenty of room for an extra person if I wanted to stay, and to be honest I really had no where to go. The only person that I really had problems with was Hoyt and as I was talking with Luda Mea I heard him enter the dining room. The sound of a chair sliding back and someone sitting in it could be heard.

"Momma! Where's my lunch?" Hoyt called.

"It's coming!" She called back.

Luda and I quickly finished the food and I helped her carry it out. I heard Hoyt scoff when he saw me, but I ignored it. I placed the dishes of food in the middle of the table while avoiding Hoyt's gaze. When we were done I took in the layout of the dining room. Hoyt was sitting at the head of the table Luda and Thomas sat on either side of him and the man in the wheelchair sat next to Luda. I moved to the chair next to Thomas and sat down quietly.

"Monty this here is Sarah. Sarah this is my brother Monty." I smiled and greeted him.

"Come on, Momma. You're not actually gonna let Tommy's pet sit at the table." I looked up at him. During normal circumstances I would have stood up for myself, but these weren't normal circumstances.

Momma glared up at Hoyt. "Hoyt this girl is a guest in this house and you will treat her with respect."

"Momma, you can't just let him play with the food. He doesn't even know what to use a woman for." Hoyt was beyond angry at this point. Even though he was trying not to yell I could see a vein popping out of his forehead. I couldn't understand why he was so angry… and what did he mean about food? I glanced at the food on the table and noticed that some off the pieces of meat looked like they were of human anatomy. I wanted to throw up, but now was really not the time.

"Hoyt we'll talk about this later." Luda responded.

"Hell no. We're gonna talk about this now."

"Don't you talk to her like that." The wheelchair bound man spoke up for the first time.

"You stay out of this Uncle Monty." After Hoyt's comment it looked like Momma had had enough.

"Thomas, take the young lady upstairs." Thomas who had been watching the conversation from the corner of his eye, stood up quickly and grabbed my wrist, dragging me up with him.

He rushed up the stairs nearly tripping me on the way up. He pulled me into a room and tossed me in the direction of the bed. He paced across the room, anxiously rubbing his hands together. I sat on the bed and watched him walk back and forth. He glanced over at me and seemed to remember that I was in the room. He moved towards me and I scooted back. I just found out that there was a possibility that his family ate people and as I stared up at him I realized just how big he was.

He stopped his forward advance and stared at me. I was afraid of him, but at the same time I felt bad for him. From what I heard he was constantly being yelled at and that doesn't make anyone feel good. I slid a little closer towards him.

His dark eyes looked mildly hopeful as I slid towards him. He moved to the bed and sat down next to me. Again the floor seemed to capture most of his attention, but I did notice that every so often he would glance in my direction.

We sat in silence and we could hear another argument between Luda and Hoyt. Whenever I looked over at Thomas he looked nervous and worried. The silence was bothering me so I decided to break it. "You don't talk much do you?" He shook his head from side to side. "Can you? Talk I mean." He nodded. I stared at him expectantly but he didn't catch on. I sighed and looked at the wall. "Thomas-"

"Tommy."

"What?" I said not expecting him to speak.

"Call me Tommy." His voice was deep, but hoarse from lack of use. I smiled at him, but my smile vanished as I thought about my question again.

"Okay Tommy, I was going to ask what did Hoyt mean when he said you were playing with your food?"

Tommy didn't know how to respond. He looked over at her and formed his words carefully. "A long time ago…when Hoyt was in the war he got captured…The prisoners were forced to eat each other to survive…" His voice grew stronger the more he spoke. "So when the town shut down and we started to run out of food…we turned to another type of food." He didn't look up at me because he knew I was horrified.

I couldn't take this. I stood and paced across the room. This was all so wrong. I stopped and turned to Thomas. "So you kill and _eat _people." He nodded but wouldn't look up at me. As I watched him I remembered the woman I had seen in the basement. "Tommy… who killed the woman downstairs?"

His head hung lower and I dreaded his response. "I did." His voice was barely above a whisper but I heard him.

I felt my eyes grow wide as I saw Thomas in a new light. I turned to run from the room, but Thomas was faster. Before I could reach the doorknob, two strong arms encircled my waist and he pulled me back against his chest.

"Let go of me you murderer!" I yelled, while struggling against him.

He only pulled me in closer and said something into my ear, "Please Sarah, I won't hurt you and I won't let anyone else hurt you." He turned me around in his arms so he could see my face.

When I saw him I couldn't help but yell at him. "Why would you protect me?! You don't even know me!"

"You were nice to me." He whispered.

I stared up at him and I couldn't take it anymore. I had been on an emotional rollercoaster since my boyfriend dumped me and now things had gotten way worse. I broke down into tears and latched onto the closest thing to me, which was Thomas. I balled my hands into fists, clenching the fabric of his shirt between my fingers. I cried into his chest and he held me tighter in his arms. He pulled me over to the bed where he sat down and pulled me down with him. I cried on him until I fell asleep again.


	5. Face Value

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A/N: I own nothing from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I only own my character Sarah Walker.

I woke up later on that day. The sun was low in the sky and causing an orange glow to pass through the window and into the room. I looked up and saw Thomas still lying next to me. His eyes were closed but when I moved they had opened up to reveal his brown orbs staring down at me. As I stared up at him I couldn't help but feel curious about what he was hiding under his mask.

"Tommy, why do you wear that thing." I said indicating the mask. His fingers moved up and traced the lines in the fabric before answering.

"I'm ugly."

I frowned as I heard him say that. "Just because Hoyt says something doesn't make it true."

"He's not the only one. When I was younger the kids I went to school with would always make fun of me." I felt even worse for him as I listened quietly to his story. He told me about how the kids in school would beat him up and how Hoyt was actually the one that helped him. He also told me how he would cut up his own face to try and make himself look better. I was nearly in tears while I thought about how someone could be treated so awfully just based on what he looked like. I reached up and gently ran my hand down the side of his face.

"Can I see your face, Tommy?"

He looked at me questioningly before sitting up. He shook his head from side to side and turned his back to me. I felt my stomach drop at the thought of hurting him with what I had said. I sat up and moved next to Thomas.

"Sorry I asked. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything like that. I just wanted to see what you looked like." I pulled my knees up to my chest and folded my arms over them so I could rest my chin on them. "Just wanted to put a face to the name and all. But I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

I turned my head so I could look at him. His eyes were glued to the same spot on the floor as before. He looked adorable sitting there, hunched over, with his hair falling slightly into his face. His eyes held an interesting expression that I couldn't place. His face looked youthful apart from a few blemishes that spotted his skin. He looked almost like a lost child who was uncertain about what was going on, and yet at the same time I couldn't ignore the amount of power that his body showed. He had broad shoulders that usually slouched a little and his muscles could be seen easily through his shirt. They developed nicely from all the work he did around the house. He looked huge even when compared to my athletic build.

I directed my attention back up to his face. I slowly reach over and brushed his hair behind his ear before leaning over and quickly kissing his cheek. Thomas looked in my direction. He stared at me wide eyed and it looked like his mouth was hanging open a little. I smiled and giggled at his expression before standing up. "That was for keeping me safe." I walked over to the door and opened it. "We should head down stairs. Sounds like things have calmed down." I said looking back at Tommy.

He had his hand on his face where I had kissed him and he was still staring at me with a shocked face. I walked back over to him and pulled him up by his free hand. "Come on." I turned to pull him towards the door, but he wouldn't budge. Instead he pulled me back towards him. I collided lightly with his chest and looked up at him. "What?"

He moved his hand from my wrist to my cheek, which he gently ran his thumb over before he lifted both his hands up behind his head. He undid the knot that held his mask in place and slowly let it slip down revealing his full face to me.

The first thing I saw was that his nose was almost nonexistent. He had thin lips but they fit nicely with his face. He was handsome in a way. He had a strong jawline and nice bone structure.

I noticed Tommy wasn't really looking at me. His eyes were angled down at the floor again, like they usually were when he was nervous. He looked worried, borderline terrified while waiting for my reaction. I stepped closer to him. He glanced up, but still looked nervous. I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled up at him. He returned the smile, which made him look more handsome. He wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me even closer. I studied his face for a second before moving closer and softly pressing my lips to his. I felt his entire body stiffen briefly before he relaxed and returned the kiss. His lips were softer than I expected them to be.

I broke the kiss and stared up at him. He was smiling again with a dreamy look in his eyes. "Ready to go downstairs?" My voice seemed to snap him out of his daze as he nodded. I took his hand and started for the door. We made it into the hall when suddenly Tommy let go of my hand and ran back into the room. I stared after him confused until he emerged once again only this time he had his hands behind his head tying his mask into place. He took my hand again and the two of us headed downstairs together.


	6. Harsh Words And A Reality Check

_I own nothing but Sarah._

Tommy led me into the dinning room but we didn't find anyone there. We heard someone call Tommy from the living room. Sitting on the couch we found Luda who was watching some TV while sewing up a piece of fabric. It looked like she was making a new dress, but I couldn't be certain. Tommy pulled me over to the open couch, which he sat down on and patted the seat next to him indicating where I should sit. I giggled at the puppy dog face he was giving me as he motioned for me to sit next to him before I slide into place.

I smiled up at him before I turned my attention to the moving pictures on the screen in front of me. Tommy on the other hand continued to stare down at me. Tentatively he moved his hand from his lap to my waist. I smirked lightly and did my best to ignore the hand. My smirk turned into a full smile as Tommy pulled me closer to him. I glanced up at him and he had an innocent look on his face. He stared expectantly wondering whether or not I would move away. Instead I snuggled closer and rested my head on his shoulder. I heard him intake air quickly and when I looked at him, his eyes were shining. I laughed quietly to myself and got comfortable against Thomas. I caught a glimpse of Luda looking over at us and smiling. We all settled in quietly and watched the program.

An hour crept by then another, the movie had ended and now we were watching the late night news. Actually Luda was watching the news, while Thomas and I had fallen asleep. Unfortunately our slumber didn't last. Tommy woke up with a start at a loud noise coming from the front door and his sudden movement woke me up. I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily. Tommy stood ready to do what ever was necessary. I could see the tension coiled in his muscles and the intense look that took over his face. The show of power caused a slight smirk to etch its way onto my face, but it was quickly replaced with a scowl as the source of the noise appeared in the doorway.

A red faced Hoyt stumbled into the room. I saw Tommy relax but not fully. He stood ready to intercept anything the older man tried. Hoyt scanned the room and it was only until he saw me that his face twisted into another scowl. He took a step forward but stopped when he saw Tommy. I saw Tommy pull his hands into fists and Hoyt must have seen this too, since he kept his distance. Even in a drunken state he knew how dangerous Tommy could be. Instead he decided to insult me from afar.

"I see you're still here...you little bitch. Don't think I don't know what you're doing… rubbing all up against my nephew like that…just so he don't kill you… I bet you have to keep yourself from throwing up each time you look at him."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I was too shocked to say anything so I just glared at the man.

"Charlie I think you've said enough today. We should be heading off to bed." Luda said standing up and walking over to us.

"I told you to stop calling me that momma." Hoyt whined as Luda pushed him off down the hall.

I stood up next to Tommy and laid my head on his arm. I felt a rough hand tilt my face upwards so that I was looking into Tommy's face. A tired smile crossed my face as I tried to ignore the remnants of sleep that still lingered. He leaned down and gently kissed my forehead before taking my hand and pulling me up to my room.

Once there I walked into the room but turned back when I didn't hear Tommy behind me. He stood awkwardly in the doorway and I couldn't help but smile. I walked back over to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I stood on my tiptoes so I could reach his face and kissed his cheek through his mask

"Goodnight, Thomas." I whispered.

"Goodnight, Sarah." He replied. I kissed him once more, this time on the lips, then turned and closed the door, flashing him a final smile before I closed it completely.

As soon as the door was closed I leaned against it and sighed. Closing my eyes I listened to Tommy's footsteps as he walked to his room and closed the door. I felt sick, like my stomach was doing somersaults. Something Hoyt said had been burrowing its way deeper into my mind ever since it fell out of his mouth.

I walked over to the bed and fell onto it. I tucked my head under the pillow and groaned. Was I really just using Tommy? I rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. Another sigh snuck its way past my lips. "This really sucks." I said to myself. As an only child I was in the habit of talking to myself when I needed to work something out.

"Maybe I should just leave tomorrow," I mused. "That's if they let me leave." Shutting my eyes I started thinking about what had happened the past few days. Tommy had been the sweetest thing to me, but what if Hoyt was right? What if I was just using him? I liked Tommy, but not in the way he liked me. I slowly reached up and traced my lips, remembering the kiss I had given Tommy. The thought of it caused my lips to curl into a smile but at the same time something still bothered me. Tommy had been so protective of me. He was willing to fight his own family just to keep me here. I knew that what he felt for me was far greater than what I felt for him.

I opened my eyes and returned my gaze to the ceiling. I had to talk to Tommy tomorrow. I didn't know what I was going to say or how he was going to react, I just hoped that Tommy wouldn't take it the wrong way.

I rolled onto my side and forced myself into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
